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Chapter 3

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“Hey man, hurry up!”

            “Yeah Zed, we don’t have all day!”

Zed Warren ran outside, cutting through the front yard. He climbed into his friend’s truck, “Sorry.”

Zac looked over his shoulder from the passenger seat, “Lighten up, the party is going to raise hell tonight, you’ll be so drunk you won’t remember why you’re there.”

Zed nodded uneasily, not finding his friend’s words all that reassuring, “I guess so…”

Zac frowned, “Are you alright?”

Looking back over to him, Zed nodded slowly, “Yeah, I’m fine.” It wasn’t a lie. He wasn’t sick and the party sounded great, but something about him felt- off. He just couldn’t put a finger on it…

“I wonder who Keith will bring to the party this time.” Drake piped in, one hand on the steering wheel, the other playing around with a lighter.

“Maybe he’ll convince the cheerleaders again. They’re always up for some good company.” Zac thought aloud with a wry smirk.

Suddenly, Drake threw himself against the back of his seat, “Holy,”

The truck lurched to a sudden stop. Zed, who at the time had not bothered to use the seatbelt, had been thrown forward nearly over the passenger seat into Zac’s lap.

Drake turned around, “Are you guys okay?” He asked.

Both of them nodded simultaneously. “Who the hell is that?” Zac muttered, shoving Zed back over into the back before looking through the windshield.

Zed had recovered and followed their gazes; in the middle of the road stood a man. Behind him was a whole blockade of military vehicles.

Drake cursed under his breath, “They better not suspend my license again…”

Nodding in agreement, Zed leaned forwards, “What do you think this is all about?”

“I dunno- not that I care.” Drake muttered, shifting his weight impatiently in his seat. “Is he just going to stand there?” He griped.

Zac frowned, “What do we do? He’s not moving out of the way…” He pointed out unnecessarily.

Drake grimaced, “Wait until he moves- he won’t stand there forever.”

Zed was silent, his eyes caught sight of other figures flanking the man, armed with clubs.

Glaring, Drake honked the horn, “Is this some kind of reenactment or something? We don’t have time for this!” He complained.

Zac opened his mouth to speak but a voice from outside stopped him.

“Shut off your vehicle and exit slowly with your hands in the air. If anyone tries to run they will be targeted immediately.”

The three boys all exchanged glances.

Drake huffed out a breath, “If you want something done, you gotta do it yourself.”

Before either Zac or Zed could react, Drake had already gotten out of the car. He slammed the door shut and strode right towards the man.

“Stop right there or I will have my men,”

Drake interrupted, “Listen here, I don’t care what your business is, my friends and I just need to get through so if you wouldn’t mind-”

A loud gunshot rang through the air and Zed watched in horror as their friend collapsed on the ground.

“Oh my god…” Zac breathed his pale face now a chalky white.

The man had not flinched the whole time, instead he yelled, “Let that be a warning to you, this isn’t a game. Proceed out of the vehicle now or we will use force.”

Zed looked to Zac, wondering if his friend was going to pass out.

“W-what do we do man? We c-can’t go out there, look at what they did!” Zac exclaimed, his voice rising in pitch.

Zed bit his tongue, either way they would have to get out of the car, “Come on…” It was a bit unreal, and Zed was having a hard time accepting the fact their friend was dying, if he’s not already dead, before their eyes.

Zac looked to his friend, eyes glazed over in fear, “I-I can’t!” He whimpered.

Zed opened the door slowly, his pulse was deafening to his ears as his blood swam up to his face and his heart pounded hard against his chest. He looked back to the vehicle where Zac had stayed, frozen where he was. Zed motioned for Zac to do the same.

Zac got out of the truck, his unsteady legs carrying him over to Zed.

Zed had never seen Zac so shaken, although he was sure he looked the same in comparison.

The man stepped forwards, “Good, now, which one of you is Zachary Reedus Malbourne?”

Zed glanced over to Zac and nudged him with his shoulder.

Zac flinched at the contact and his lip quivered slightly as he stepped forwards- he did not utter a word.

The man grimaced, the dark features of his face twisted into a broad formation, “Figures.” The man then raised a hand and it only took a flick of his wrist before another person stepped up from behind him, raised a gun, and pulled the trigger.

Zac fell to the ground with a cry. Blood quickly pooled around Zac’s squirming body as he dragged himself to Zed’s feet. “P-please help me! …Please…” He pleaded, blood running from his mouth as he spoke.

Zed could do nothing but stare, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t think. Even as his friend finally slipped into unconsciousness, he did nothing, felt nothing.

“Such a shame to kill someone of his age, but he had seen too much already…”

Zed hadn’t realized the man had approached and now stood over Zac’s stone-still body. He glanced up to Zed, “So, you must be Zeek Bileous Warren.” The man emphasized the syllables as though Zed didn’t know his own name. “Age 17, currently a junior at Millway High School, an average B student, supposedly under the supervision of your Uncle Morris am I right?”

Zed didn’t like this… “What do you want from me?”

The man let out a few cut off breaths Zed assumed was some sort of dry attempt of a chuckle. “I don’t want anything from you- yet. For now, you will come with us without denial and then I won’t have to do anything you will regret.” He flashed Zed a cold smile before he raised a gun at Zed and fired.

Author's Note

This one might have some spelling errors because I typed it fast and this chapter is a bit longer. Things will start to make more sense in chapter 4 which I'm currently still working on. I'm writing around 5 different books at once so it may be another day or two until I upload another.